Online Reading for Kids – Top 3 Skills

For kids to become successful readers they will need to master many skills. Among the most fundamental of these skills that kids can learn by reading online include:

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

These two skills are essentially two sides of the same coin. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear individual sounds in words, while phonics is the ability to link letters to these individual sounds. These skills are the first that kids will need to master, and learning these reading skills online gives them an advantage over traditional methods of teaching.

For example, ABC Reading Eggs lessons include activities that ask kids to listen to two or three words and then choose the one that includes the lesson’s focus sound. The program also asks students to work with onsets and rhymes like c-at, b-at, r-at, etc so that they understand how words can be segmented into different parts. These lessons are enhanced by animations, visuals and sounds, which aid the learning process.

Vocabulary

The more words your child knows, the easier it will be for them to read and gain fluency. Some of the first words that a beginner reader will learn are Sight Words, which are words like ‘is’, ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘it’ etc. There are 250 sight words, the first 100 of which make up more than 50% of primary level reading books. Automatic recognition of these words allows a child to use their working memory capacity to comprehend a book for meaning, rather than to decode words.

When kids are introduced to a new word in an ABC Reading Eggs lesson, they are presented with a matching picture which provides context and also helps to aid in word retention. New words are also introduced around themes, which makes it easier to remember the new word e.g. if kids are learning about fruit, adding a new word, like apple or cherry, is far easier to commit to memory.

Comprehension

Reading for meaning is the end goal of learning to read, a skill that is considered the essence of reading. Reading In ABC Reading Eggs, children are exposed to a meaning-based approach to reading. Each lesson includes the same structural features: an introductory animation, followed by a series of activities that build word knowledge, before culminating in the reading of a new book. Ending each lesson with the reading of a new book teaches kids that reading online isn’t just about completing activities, but reading extended, meaningful text.

Testimonials

My preschooler LOVES Reading Eggs. She considers it a treat to get to play. She has made it through 2 levels so far and just keeps truckin’. This is much more comprehensive and child-friendly than any other software or site we have used to date. I just wish this had been around when my older son was learning to read. I have recommended this program to several of my friends and plan to use it well into the future.”Jacqueline Chappell

Reading Eggs is one of the best interactive reading programs available. It is easy to use, is motivating for the students and the activities are sequential. If we judge the success of a program based on students’ enthusiasm and understanding then Reading Eggs is an absolute ‘winner’!Julie Hughes, Mt Warren Park